Vows in the Shadows
919 Words
The mansion loomed ahead as the SUV sped through the evening fog. Eliana’s fingers clutched the seatbelt, her mind spinning with the vision, the betrayal, and the strange voice that had whispered inside her.
> "If he marks you, the curse spreads. If you mark him, it dies."
Her pulse quickened. What did it mean? Could she really break the curse with just a choice?
Lucas sat beside her, eyes fixed forward. He hadn't said much since they fled the crumbling temple—only that Dre’s betrayal confirmed what he feared: the Shadowbound were infiltrating from within.
When the vehicle pulled to a stop at the estate’s private gates, guards stepped aside quickly.
They were expected.
And something had changed.
Inside the Mansion – The Elder’s Room
Mr. and Mrs. Kwenzi stood waiting, their expressions unusually tense. Candles lined the room, casting soft glows over shelves of ancient books and preserved scrolls.
Lucas stepped forward. “He betrayed us. Dre’s been working with the Shadowbound for years. They knew about Eliana before I ever met her.”
Mrs. Kwenzi nodded slowly. “We feared as much. That’s why we summoned the Council of Elders.”
Lucas tensed. “They’ll want to separate us.”
“They’ll want to protect her,” Mr. Kwenzi corrected. “And they believe the only way to do that… is to complete the bond now.”
Eliana blinked. “Now?”
Mrs. Kwenzi turned to her. “The Eclipse is only two days away. The Shadowbound won’t wait. If the bond is incomplete during the alignment, your light will be unstable.”
Lucas stepped in front of her. “She’s not ready.”
“She has to be,” Mr. Kwenzi said grimly.
Later – Eliana’s Room
Eliana paced the marble floor. Her skin still hummed from the energy in the temple, but her heart ached with conflict.
The bond.
Marking.
Vows.
She barely understood herself—how could she give herself to someone else completely?
A knock on the door.
Lucas stepped in, quieter than usual. He didn’t speak. Just walked over and took her hand.
She didn’t pull away.
“I can’t let them force you into this,” he said.
“You’re not forcing me,” she whispered. “But I need to understand what it means.”
He sat beside her on the edge of the bed. “It means my soul and yours become one. It means your heartbeat is mine. If I fall… you feel it. If you hurt… I bleed.”
“That sounds terrifying.”
“It is,” he said softly. “But it’s also the only thing that’s ever felt right.”
She looked up at him, her eyes searching his. “And what if I lose myself?”
“Then I’ll find you,” he said without hesitation. “Even in the dark.”
She smiled faintly. “That sounds like a vow.”
Lucas took her hand again, raised it to his lips, and kissed her fingers.
“Then let it be one.”
Downstairs – The Ritual Hall
The hall was ancient, carved from stone and lined with moon symbols. The Elders—five of them in silver robes—stood in a crescent. At the center of the room, a small pool glowed under moonlight.
Eliana and Lucas stepped in together, bare feet pressing onto the cool runes.
The eldest Elder raised a carved staff.
“Eliana Cruz, bearer of Okaru light… Lucas Kwenzi, son of the broken Alpha… tonight you stand in union not just of bond, but of war.”
The words echoed through the chamber.
The Elder turned to Eliana. “Do you accept the bond?”
She hesitated—then met Lucas’s eyes.
“I do.”
“And do you vow to protect him, even if your light dims?”
“I do.”
The Elder turned to Lucas. “Do you vow to protect her, even if the curse consumes you?”
“I do.”
The Marking Begins
A bright thread of energy lifted from the pool and wrapped around their joined hands. It tightened like a ribbon of gold, glowing brighter until it faded into their skin.
Eliana gasped as a symbol—half-moon, half-wolf—appeared on her wrist.
Lucas had the same on his.
The bond was sealed.
But before anyone could celebrate, the doors burst open with a loud clang.
A guard ran in, bloodied and breathless.
“They’ve found us.”
Outside – Chaos Unleashed
The Shadowbound had surrounded the mansion.
Smoke danced across the lawn. Wolves howled from the forest edge. A figure stepped forward—tall, cloaked, with eyes like molten ice.
Eliana shivered.
Lucas stepped in front of her.
“That’s not just another soldier,” he muttered.
The cloaked figure removed their hood.
Eliana gasped.
It was a woman.
But not just any woman.
She looked exactly like Eliana—only older. Her hair was silver, her skin glowing faintly with the same light.
“Eliana…” the woman called out. “My daughter.”
Eliana’s knees nearly gave out.
“What…?”
Lucas grabbed her arm.
Mrs. Kwenzi gasped. “It’s impossible. She died in the Okaru cleansing.”
The woman stepped forward. “They lied to you all. The war never ended. I was taken. And now… I’ve come to finish what I started.”
She raised her hand—and the sky above them turned completely black.
The Eclipse had begun.
- Writer
